The present disclosure is related to support apparatuses for supporting persons. More specifically, the present disclosure is related to a person support apparatus such as a hospital bed having a powered transport system to propel the support apparatus across a floor to transport a patient.
Person support apparatuses such as hospital beds, for example, typically include a plurality of wheels and are manually moved over a floor. A bed may weigh several hundred pounds and may carry additional loads including the person supported and medical equipment used in the care of the person supported on the bed.
Motorized carts which couple to a bed and propel the bed across a floor are known to be used. The carts may include controls for use by a caregiver in operating the cart to move the bed. A single cart may be used to move multiple beds by moving the cart from bed to bed.
In some beds, a motorized drive mechanism may be positioned on the frame of the bed and configured to propel the bed. The drive mechanism may have a wheel or a track which contacts the floor and is driven to propel the bed in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bed. In some instances, the drive mechanism maintains constant contact with the floor.